Draw poker games have lost much of their popularity in recent years, although games like 2-7 Triple Draw and 5 Card Draw are still spread at times in both tournament and cash game formats.
The game of 5 Card Draw shares much of its rules with Texas Hold’em Poker, including the no limit betting structure and the poker hand rankings. However, there are also quite a few differences that you will need to get used to before you can play 5 Card Draw poker.
If you have never played 5 Card Draw before or are entirely new to Draw poker games as such, keep reading and learn all the 5 Card Draw Poker rules, as well as some essential strategy tips that will help make you a formidable opponent from the get-go.
Basic Rules of 5 Card Draw Poker
The most significant difference between 5 Card Draw and games like NLH and PLO is the fact that no community cards are used in 5 Card Draw.
Unlike NLH, where flop, turn, and river are dealt after the hole cards, all cards in 5 Card Draw remain hidden until showdown.
Every player is dealt exactly five cards to start with, and those cards can be exchanged once, with a single drawing round available after the first betting round.
The game is typically played with six to eight players at the table, but playing with fewer players typically makes the game flow a lot better.
There are only two betting rounds in 5 Card Draw Poker, and the game uses no limit betting structure to ensure players can make substantial bets across the two betting streets.
The betting order and seating setup are the same as Texas Hold’em Poker, but let’s take a closer look at those and explain how a hand of 5 Card Draw is set up and what forced bets must be placed before the cards are dealt.
Playing 5 Card Draw Poker – Blinds, Antes, and Betting Streets
Before a hand of 5 Card Draw Poker is dealt, at least two players at the table must put chips into the pot to make forced bets known as the blinds.
The two players sitting to the immediate left of the dealer button must place the small blind and big blind, the value of which is either fixed in a cash game or determined by the current level of play in a poker tournament.
For example, a 5 Card Draw Poker tournament might start with blinds at 100/200 and all players sitting on 20,000 chips. The players to the left of the dealer button must put in 100 chips for the small blind and 200 chips for the big blind to start the action.
These forced bets are used to drive further action and give other players a reason to put in chips into the pot.
In addition to the blinds, 5 Card Draw Poker can be played with antes, where all players at the table are forced to place a small percentage of the big blind into the pot before the cards are dealt.
In modern poker games, the ante bets are often covered by the big blind each hand, as the big blind ante concept allows for faster and smoother game flow.
Step #1 – The Hole Cards
A hand of 5 Card Draw Poker starts with every player at the table getting dealt exactly five cards, all face-down.
Only the player is allowed to look at his five hole cards, and betting action starts immediately after the dealing is done.
The first decision you will want to make in 5 Card Draw will be made entirely based on the value of your hole cards, as you will need to decide if these cards are worth keeping and how many cards you will want to draw when it comes to it.
Typically speaking, you will want to start with a reasonable made hand or a strong draw in the hopes of making a big poker hand by showdown.
Step #2 – First Betting Round
Once all the hole cards are dealt, the player to the left of the big blind gets first action and is allowed to either fold his cards, call the value of the big blind, or make a raise.
Since 5 Card Draw is typically played as a no limit poker game, players can raise to any amount, up to the size of their stacks.
The action goes around the table, with every player getting action until all bets are settled and every player has acted.
The players who have not folded their cards will get a chance to draw after the initial betting round, while those who have folded will have to wait for the next hand to get involved.
Step #3 – The Draw
Some draw poker games allow for up to three draws, but in 5 Card Draw only one draw is allowed, making it a key part of the hand.
Each player at the table is given an opportunity to exchange anywhere between one and five cards from their hand in the drawing round.
In most cases, you will want to exchange the loose cards in your hand that are not a part of your made hand while keeping the cards that play well together.
For instance, you will want to keep your three-of-a-kind combination and draw two to try and make four-of-a-kind, or keep the four cards to a straight flush to try and improve to a straight, flush, or a straight flush.
If you decide you like the cards you have and don’t want to draw at all, you will stand-pat, which means you won’t exchange any of your cards.
The stand-pat play can also be used as a bluff, indicating to the other players that you have a made hand like a full house or a flush while actually having no made hand in the hole.
The stand-pat bluff can be especially effective in heads-up pots when your opponent draws three cards, as this means they have nothing more than a pair and are drawing to a better hand.
Step #4 – Second Betting Round
Once all the drawing is completed, the second and final betting round starts. Players who still have cards get their turn to act, starting with the small blind or the player closest to it.
This time around, players can check their option, giving action to the next player in line, or make a bet of any value between one big blind and their entire stack.
The second betting round is your final opportunity to make bets in 5 Card Draw, so you will want to make it count and make big bets with your value hands and your bluffs alike.
Step #5 – Showdown
Once the second betting round is completed and all the bets have been settled, the dealer will announce a showdown, and the remaining players will be requested to show their cards.
Once you get to the showdown, you will need to have the best hand if you want to win the pot, as the dealer will compare the value of the hands shown and declare the winner.
At showdown, all hands are compared in accordance with the standardized poker hand rankings, which can be found below.
5 Card Draw Poker Hand Rankings
You now understand the basic game flow of a 5 Card Stud Poker hand, but if you haven’t played much poker before, you might not know which hand beats which in this game.
For those who have played games like Texas Hold’em Poker or Pot Limit Omaha in the past, the poker hand rankings are identical, and there are no major deviations between these games and 5 Card Draw.
For everyone else, the following list shows all the possible poker hands from best to worst, with examples of each:
- Royal Flush: AdKdQdJdTd
- Straight Flush: 9c8c7c6c5c
- Four-of-a-Kind: JsJdJcJh7c
- Full House: 9s9d9c5h5s
- Flush: AhQh9h6h2h
- Straight: QcJhTs9h8c
- Three-of-a-Kind: AhAsAdKc7s
- Two Pair: KdKh9s9c2h
- One Pair: JsJh9c6d2s
- High Card: Ac9d7c5h2s
If more than one player has the same hand, such as the same straight, the players will split the pot. However, this is only the case if the hands are exactly the same.
If two players have the same one pair or two pair hand, for example, the player with the better kicker (the highest unpaired card) will win the pot.
Furthermore, more than one player can have a flush of the same or different suit in a 5 Card Draw Poker hand. In this case, the player with the highest flush card will win the pot, regardless of the suit of their flush.
For example, AcKc9c8c2c wins against KhQhJh7h3h because the Ace is a higher card than a King. If the highest card in the two flushes was the same, the next highest card would decide the winner.
Best Starting Hands in 5 Card Draw
Unlike most other poker variations, 5 Card Draw is a game where you start with five cards, giving you a chance to have a fully made poker hand right after the deal.
For example, you can get dealt a flush, full house, four-of-a-kind, or even a straight flush in your first five cards, almost ensuring you have the best hand.
However, you will usually have one pair or worse to get started, which is why knowing what hands to play and what hands not to play can be essential.
Like in most other poker games, your poker position plays a key part in 5 Card Draw. The more players fold in front of you, the more likely you are to have the best hand even with just one pair, and the more likely you are to win the blinds without contest.
Most players open a high pocket pair, such as JJ, QQ, KK, or AA from any position at the table, while some tighter players might only open with three-of-a-kind from early positions and with high pocket pairs from the button.
On the other hand, looser opponents may open much wider than that and try to catch up or bluff quite often, making them difficult to play against.
If you want to play good 5 Card Draw, you will want to play a balanced strategy and play mostly with starting hands that have some potential.
This means you will want at least a high pocket pair to get involved, or a strong three-card straight flush draw, or a four-card straight or flush draw.
Your starting hand selection should also heavily depend on how tight or loose the rest of the table is and how likely you are to get a lot of action when you get involved.
Basic 5 Card Draw Strategy – Drawing and Bluffing
Unlike most poker games, 5 Card Draw only offers two betting opportunities and is a game where very little information is disclosed.
In Texas Hold’em Poker, five of the seven cards every player uses to make their hand are visible to everyone. In Seven Card Stud, four of every player’s seven cards are shown face-up.
In 5 Card Draw, on the other hand, all the cards remain hidden until showdown, which means you can bluff as much as you want, and every decision is based on more on reads and the perception of other players than cards.
The natural way to play hands in 5 Card Draw dictates you should draw three cards when you have one pair, draw one card when you have two pair, etc.
However, always playing your hands in this way gives away too much information about your hand. Some players choose to always play their hand straight-up, while others often go the other route.
The other strategy you can apply is to sometimes draw just two, one, or even no cards with your one pair and go for a bluff against opponents drawing three or two cards.
Since these opponents’ cards are unlikely to be good to start with, they are likely to fold to aggression against a player representing a strong starting hand.
Of course, if you try to bluff every hand at a 5 Card Draw table, you are likely to get looked up a lot more often and could end up losing lots of chips in pots you never should have been involved in.
The best strategy for 5 Card Draw Poker depends on the opponents you are facing more than it does in most other poker games, which allows for creativity but also creates lots of variance.
FAQ
How do I play 5 Card Draw Poker?
5 Card Draw Poker is one of the simplest poker games. Every player is dealt five starting cards and a single draw opportunity is offered where players can exchange their cards for new ones. The player with the best five-card poker hand wins.
How to win at 5 Card Draw Poker?
You can win a hand of 5 Card Draw Poker by getting all your opponents to fold their cards or by having the best poker hand at showdown. The game uses standardized poker hand rankings for hand comparison at showdown.
How many cards can I draw in 5 Card Draw Poker?
You can draw up to five cards once in 5 Card Draw. The single draw opportunity comes after the first betting round, and you can choose to stay pat or take anywhere between one and five new cards.
How much can I bet at 5 Card Draw Poker?
5 Card Draw is typically played as a no limit game. This means you can bet anywhere between one big blind and your entire chip stack every time the action is on you. There is a total of two betting streets in 5 Card Draw Poker.
What hands should I play in 5 Card Draw Poker?
In most cases, you should have at least a decent pocket pair to put chips into a pot in 5 Card Draw. In some situations, such as blind-versus-blind, you may be able to raise even looser than this and get all your opponents to fold, winning you the pot without contest.